Decorative doll garment



Oct. 23, 1962 J. M. BROWN ETAL DECORATIVE DOLL GARMENT INVENTORS Jenn/E M Brown Bea/ryce 8. Lowery Filed Nov. 25, 1960 United States Patent F 3,059,377 DECORATIVE DOLL GARMENT Jennie M. Brown, Excelio, Mo., and Beatryce S. Lowery, Red Bay, Ala; said Lowery assignor to said Brown Filed Nov. 25, 1960, er. No. 71,704 4 Claims. (Cl. 46-241) The present invention generally relates to a garment structure and more particularly to a decorative garment for dolls, especially very small or miniature dolls.

The present invention incorporates in its construction a single piece of material generally ovate in shape and having one end portion narrower than the other end portion so that the single piece of material will receive the lower end of a doll having a body or simulated body thereon for covering the body and being held in position by a flexible retaining element encircling the garment and the body of the doll adjacent the neck region so that only the head of the doll projects above the garment and is observable in this position. The garment may either partially enclose the head of the doll generally in the nature of a bonnet or else completely reveal the head with the excess material at the front and rear draping downwardly in front of the doll thereby providing a highly decorative doll garment which is easily assembled and securely retained in position.

The decorative doll garment of the present invention also has for an object the provision of such a garment which may be constructed of any suitable decorative and attractive material having a decorative edging thereon for enhancing the appearance of the doll while also concealing the body portion of the doll thereby enabling the body portion to be provided with a scent diffusing material or facility for efiectively producing a garment having a function in addition to decorativeness.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of a decorative doll garment employed on a doll;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 2'-2 of FIGURE 1 illustrating the construction of the doll and the relationship of the garment thereto;

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view of the doll itself employed in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the decorative doll garment of the present invention;

FIGURE 5 is a front elevation with parts broken away of a modified form of the invention illustrating material draped from the neck of the doll downwardly at the front and the rear;

FIGURE 6 is a detailed sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 6-6 of FIGURE 5 illustrating the structural relationship of the garment to the doll in this form of the invention;

FIGURE 7 is an elevational View of another form of the doll garment assembled onto the doll; and

FIGURE 8 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane passing along section line 88 of FIGURE 7 illustrating further structural details of this form of the invention.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates the garment of the present invention for use in assembly with a doll generally designated by numeral 12. The doll 12 is provided with a head 14 having a face 16 formed thereon and a depending body 18. The doll and body may be conventional with arms 3,059,377 Patented Oct. 23, 1962 "ice and legs or may only be a head with a depending body of any suitable shape or outward configuration. For example, the body may be in the form of or have attached thereto scent diffusing material or the like and may be used for this purpose. In this form of the invention, the body 18 is provided with a receptacle-like cover 20 affixed thereto, the cover having a U-shaped retainer or bail 22 in the form of a wire member or the like attached thereto and extending over the top of the head 14 as illustrated in FIGURE 3.

The garment 10 includes a single piece of flexible material 24 having a generally ovate or oblong form with one end being rounded and of relatively narrow width as designated by numeral 26and the other end designated by numeral 28 being relatively wide and also provided with a curved outer edge. The periphery of the material 24- is provided with a decorative edging 30 such as lace secured in position by stitching 32.

When assembling the garment 10 on the doll 12, the piece of material 24 is folded about a transverse fold line with the bottom of the body 18 engaging the central part, or either above or below the central part, of the piece of material 24. This varies with the length of the garment, the length of the front downward drape, and the length or height of the bonnet. The end portions 26 and 28 of the piece of material are drawn upwardly on the front and rear of the body 18 and the narrow end portion extends up behind the head 14 and forwardly across the top of the head 14 and then is turned upwardly while the end portion 28 is formed into a reverse bend at the neckline and then falls downwardly in the form of a drape in front of the body 18. A flexible member 34 encircles the body and the piece of material 24 at the neckline and retains the end portion 28 in draped configuration. The narrow end portion 26 is disposed under the retaining wire 22 and the free edge thereof is held in an upstanding position such as by starching, wiring, or other stiifening material thereby providing a highly decorative and ornamental doll garment which is quite simple in structure in that it is constructed of one piece of material and quite easily assembled onto the doll body. Further, the components of the structure including the piece of material .24, the edging 30, the dolls head and face may have any suitable decorative colors or materials and the entire assembly forms a miniature doll that is highly attractive in appearance and also functional.

FIGURES 5 and 6 illustrate another form of the invention in which the doll is the same but in which the garment 36 has a draped rear portion 38 and a draped front portion 40 each of which terminates generally at the bottom edge of the body 18 of the doll 12. In this form of the invention, the head 14 is free of the garment and the lower edges 42 of the garment 36 are not provided with any edging and are completely free of each other.

FIGURES 7 and 8 illustrate another modified form of the invention which is the same as the structure illustrated in FIGURES l3 except that the end portion of the piece of material 24 designated by numeral 28 extends downwardly in a drape-like manner to the lower edge of the body '18 and the lower edge is also finished with edge lacing or the like.

In both forms of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 7, the flexible member 34 is employed and in the construction of FIGURE 8, the wire 22 is employed.

The flexible member 34 holding the gar-ment in place may be in the form of an elastic band, a ribbon, a string, a wire, a thread or any combination of these elements or any other functionally similar device. The garment is folded and arranged to produce a garment which quickly and effectively dresses a doll, figurine or a face and head or any kind which is at the top of a body or a simulated :body. As only the face of the dressed doll is visible or the head thereof is visible, the body of the doll may take many configurations and have many shapes, sizes and materials. The size of the strip of material may vary in accordance with the size of the doll and also in accordance with the material from which the strip of material 24 is formed.

An illustrated in FIGURES 7 and 8, the body 18 is provided with a permanent magnet 44, joined to, embedded in, attached to or otherwise disposed on the bottom thereof for holding the doll in upright position when disposed on a supporting metallic surface of ferrous material. Also, .in this form of the invention, a reinforcing or stilfenin-g wire 4-6 is employed in a hem 43 around the periphery of the piece of material 24 for retaining the shape thereof. The Wire reinforcing member also serves to gather the draped portion 28 as well as the bonnet portion or narrow end portion 26.

Also illustrated in FIGURES 7 and 8 is the provision of rhinestones 50 or similar decorative members, sequins and the like which will further enhance the appearance of the doll. In accordance with the material used in the decorative doll garment, the garment at any point therein or part thereof or all the way around the periphery thereof may be Wired, starched or stiifened in any manner that eifects a better and more permanent arrangement of the material.

It is also within the purview of this invention to construct the garment of different colors and combinations of colors. The material 24 may be partly of one color and partly of another. This would provide the doll with a bonnet of one color and a skirt of another color. This also would adapt the doll to designate the colors of schools, colleges, universities and the like. For example, if the colors of a university were crimson and white, then the skirt would be of crimson material while the bonnet would be white. Of course, indicia could be provided on the garment to further indicate the university thus enhancing the novelty of the doll. Also, the present invention may be conveniently marketed in a do-it-yourself kit in which all of thecomponents are packaged with the purchaser finally assembling the components into a highly decorative doll. Further, there may be added to the decorative doll any of various trims, accessories and the like for producing decorative dolls simulating various well known characters famous in history, fables,

romance childrens r hmes and any other characters of general interest. As an example there might be added a cape to suggest Little Red Riding Hood, pearls, a

COI'SEtgG and bridal veil to suggest a bride, jewels, a tiara or crown .to suggest a queen, etc.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. The combination of a doll including a head, a neck and a torso provided with a substantially flat lower end, and a doll garment comprising a single elongated piece of flexible material, said piece of material having a front portion superposed on the front of the doll torso, a back portion superposed on the back of the doll torso, and an intermediate portion underlying said flat lower end of the torso, a cord-like fastening element embracing the front and back portions of said piece of material at the neck of the doll whereby to retain the garment in position, an inverted U-sha-ped bail extending upwardly from the doll torso and surmounting said head, and a relatively narrow extension provided integrally at the upper end of said back portion of said piece of material, said extension being interposed between said head and said bail and projecting upwardly therefrom.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1 together with a magnet interposed between the lower end of said torso and said intermediate portion of said piece of material.

3. The combination as defined in claim 1 together with a receptacle-like cover enclosing said doll torso, the end portions of said =bail being secured to opposite sides of said cover.

4. The combination as defined in claim 1 together with lace edging provided on said extension of said piece of material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,079,798 Painter Nov. 25, 1913 1,156,900 Guggenheirner Oct. 19, 1915 1,407,165 Pajeau Feb. 21, 1922 1,583,419 Perl May 4, 1926 2,538,123 Price Ian. 16, 1951 2,538,420 Junghans Jan. 16, 1951 2,665,913 Hlavac Jan. 12, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 210,068 Switzerland Aug. 16, 1940 

